The Early Clinical Diagnosis of PneumoniaDr. William S. McCann, Rochester, N. Y.: Recent advances in the treatment of pneumona yield dramatic results with certain types of the disease, notably type I. In the records of the Strong Memorial Hospital, cases of type I pneumonia treated in the first ninety-six hours had a mortality rate of only 11 per cent as contrasted with 44 per cent in cases treated later than ninety-six hours, and 54 per cent of all cases of pneumonia in which specific treatment was not given. The advantage of beginning treatment on the first day is clearly apparent in figures showing a rising mortality rate for each day that treatment is delayed. This makes the value of early diagnosis unquestionably important. Early diagnosis is important apart from the question of serum treatment, because pneumonia is a contagious disease in which no time should be lost in applying measures to prevent the spread of infection.